France:The scourge of asbestos is still alive and well in France, with 10 deaths a day and a predicted 100,000 more deaths by 2025. Trials for criminal negligence on the part of employers are being won against large companies and also against the French State. On 11 May, the Court of Cassation recognised the damage caused to asbestos workers by anxiety. There have been regular demonstrations involving trade unions and asbestos victims’ associations. There is a risk of a climb-down on the level of early retirement payments; we are calling for at least the equivalent of the minimum wage.Progress also needs to be made on early retirement for specific professions, including electricians and bricklayers (currently the scheme only applies to staff at specific sites, including factories, shipbuilding yards and premises owned by the national rail company SNCF). Consequently, construction workers are excluded since they have worked at multiple sites.
Asbestos-related inquiries used to be overseen by an examining magistrate. The removal of this office will make it difficult to establish employer liability.

However, it should be noted that there has been a step forward regarding training for asbestos removal: this will be increased from two to five days for asbestos-removal workers and from two to 10 days for supervisory staff.

There remain some negative points: inaccurate risk assessment during demolition works (in 80% of cases) and the fact that over half of asbestos-removal worksites do not observe health and safety rules, with all the consequences for workers that this entails.

CANADA –Stop exporting Chrysotile to Asia:The Quebec government is preparing to give a loan guarantee of $58 million to rescue the asbestos industry and allow the opening of the new Jeffrey underground mine. The Jeffrey Mine Inc. plans to export 200,000 tons of asbestos a year from the new underground mine to developing countries for the next 25 to 50 years. We believe that the governments of Canada and Quebec must take responsibility for the damage that the continued production and export of chrysotile will do to workers’ health. We urge the government of Quebec not to invest the $58 million in the Jeffrey mine, and instead to invest in a program of just transition for the affected communities to provide them with safe, healthy, sustainable employment.For more information please visit the BWI webpage

The Spanish situation:In 2001 Spanish social partner organisation agreed with the central government on a national program for monitoring workers health who were exposed to mineral fibres. The attached report shows data about the number of checked workers and the occurrence of different diseases. The report also discusses the implementation of the program its successful aspects but also the shortcomings. Among others, the report is criticizing that there is no obligation to establish a national inventory of asbestos-ill buildings as well as the lack of existing guidelines with understandable and useful information for workers. Further the report also discusses those regulatory aspects of the agreement, that improves the directive in force.Report of the situation in Spain: Download